Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 92232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92232 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
“We need to go back for his body. I have to bury him properly,” Ray murmurs out of the blue.
“I will have it taken care of.”
“Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me.”
“Kendrick?”
“Yes, my love.”
“I’m sorry. He was my dad. I didn’t think he was trying to set me up. I only wanted to have dinner with him and hear him out. I didn’t know,” she sobs.
“I understand. It is done now. You are safe and I know what these hunters look like and what we are up against. Not that you left many of them standing.”
“What do you mean?”
“I believe only the bishop and one other got away. If that was all their men, you diminished their numbers with your attack.”
“What attack?”
I open my mind for her to see what happened through my eyes as I was able to watch it all from above the room. Thus, giving her a bird’s-eye view. While she’s watching for herself, I search her face.
Her lips part and her eyes widen. “Oh,” she breathes and closes her eyes, looking away from me.
“Can we go to my happy place? Please,” she whispers.
I kiss her temple. “Of course. We will go as soon as I get you to our room.”
“Thank you.”
We fall silent as I make it to our bedroom and close us in. Placing her on the bed, I pull her shoes from her feet. She pushes back until she can place her head on her pillow. However, once I climb onto the bed and lie on my back, I pull her into my arms so she can lie on my chest.
“I want to scream. I want a moment to lose myself,” she whispers.
“We’ll take the time for you to do whatever you need. Remember, close your eyes and allow your breathing to even out,” I say as I rub her back.
“Clear your mind and follow the sound of my voice. When you find the door, walk through it. I’ll be waiting.”
Her mind is clouded. It will take her a bit longer this time to cross over. I stand in the void, waiting for her. Slowly, light and space begin to form.
Ray
I know I want to get away, but I can’t think of my place of peace. There is no paradise in my head at the moment. Then it hits me. The last place I would think I would find peace comes to mind.
The door appears and I rush over and run through it. I find Kendrick inside, sitting on my childhood bed. I drop to my knees and release the scream I’ve been holding in.
I scream until my voice is raw and my head hurts. I didn’t get to tell him I loved him too. I never got to say it back.
What hurts most is that I know he betrayed me and brought me there for that man. Yet I can’t stop seeing his lifeless body fall to the ground, over and over again. I can’t make sense of any of it.
“Let it all go, my love. It will be okay,” Kendrick says into my hair as he gets on the floor and wraps around me.
His embrace soothes my aching heart. If not for him, I’d probably be the one with a sword through me. I have no idea how long I sit sobbing in Kendrick’s arms.
He sits and allows me to fall apart as he murmurs reassuring words and rubs my hair and back. After some time, I lift my head and look around the re-creation of my old bedroom.
“It’s time to say goodbye,” I whisper.
The room begins to change as I think of what I need most right now. The sky appears in that calming light-purple color. Kendrick and I now sit in a hot steaming bath, releasing the tension from my body.
He grunts in approval and begins to wash my hair. I close my eyes and sag back against his chest. My heart still aches, but I’m trying to make sense of where I go from here.
“He was trying to see into my head. What do you think he was looking for?” I ask as Kendrick rinses the soap out of my hair.
“I don’t know. I’m starting to feel like all we have is questions and no answers. My visions aren’t giving much either.”
“There were so many of them.”
“Yes, which is odd as many of my mother’s kind have been diluted. There aren’t many originals to speak of.”
“But those were all originals?”
“Yes, all purebloods. They should have died off by now.”
“Although I could sense something was off about them.”
“I wish I knew what that missing passage says. I have a feeling it’s important.”
“I want you to focus on relaxing for now. Allow me to worry about these things.”
“Will you tell the others what has happened?”
“I will call church once I know you’re resting.”